VMware ESXi and Workstation TOCTOU Race Condition Vulnerability
VMware — ESXi
VMware ESXi, and Workstation contain a TOCTOU (Time-of-Check Time-of-Use) vulnerability that leads to an out-of-bounds write. A malicious actor with local administrative privileges on a virtual machine may exploit this issue to execute code as the virtual machine's VMX process running on the host.
9.3
1.6%
Vector breakdown
- Attack vector
- Local
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
- Published
- Mar 4, 2025
- Modified
- Feb 26, 2026
- Added to KEV
- Mar 4, 2025
- Federal patch due
- Mar 25, 2025
CISA required action
Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
Weakness classification
Proof-of-concept & exploitation references
Weaponization
Public repositories whose name or description references CVE-2025-22224, found via a live GitHub search at request time. These are community-sourced signals, not a verified working exploit — cross-check each one before relying on it, and treat higher star counts and recent activity as (weak) corroboration, not proof.
No public GitHub repositories referencing CVE-2025-22224 were found at last check. Absence here is not proof no exploit exists — see the references below for vendor advisories and write-ups.
References
Frequently asked questions
What is CVE-2025-22224?
VMware ESXi, and Workstation contain a TOCTOU (Time-of-Check Time-of-Use) vulnerability that leads to an out-of-bounds write. A malicious actor with local administrative privileges on a virtual machine may exploit this issue to execute code as the virtual machine's VMX process running on the host.
How severe is CVE-2025-22224?
CVE-2025-22224 has a CVSS base score of 9.3 out of 10 (CVSS 3.1).
Is CVE-2025-22224 actively exploited in the wild?
Yes. CVE-2025-22224 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added Mar 4, 2025, meaning CISA has confirmed evidence of active exploitation.
What is the EPSS score for CVE-2025-22224?
1.6% - meaning FIRST.org's EPSS model estimates a 1.6% probability this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within 30 days (74% percentile among all scored CVEs).
What type of vulnerability is CVE-2025-22224?
CVE-2025-22224 is classified under CWE-367 (CWE-367 Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition).
Cross-checked against
Impactr finds and proves whether CVE-2025-22224 — or flaws like it — are actually reachable in your own web apps and APIs, with a reproducible exploit as evidence.